Oxford

On Thursday, June 5th we took a bus from London to Oxford, a place of major literary inspiration for British literature. Oxford was the home of Lewis Carroll, the pen name for Charles Dodgson, the author of the accclaimed children's book, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. It wasn't hard to see why Oxford was a point of so much inspiration, since the gorgeous buildings of the Oxford universities and libraries radiated a vibe of intellectualism. It was easy to see that Oxford was a centre for academics, and that the intellectual took top priority. In the Introduction to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, it is stated that Carroll wrote this story strictly to be entertainment for the young Liddell books. He warns the reader not to read too much into his writing, since there is nothing of substance there. It became clear to me when I was in Oxford that reading for entertainment is probably not something that many of the readers at the colleges were accustomed to. That makes the necessity of a book for children that is purely fun more essential than ever. Oxford is such an organized city, with the self-contained university campuses and the neat and tidy streets. That is why Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is such a strong juxtaposition in it's lack of structure, and connectedness. This chaos was probably not often found in Oxford, so Carroll took it upon himself to break the chains of conformity and write a work that still captivates readers today.

Day 7 - The Globe Theatre

Walking through the busy London streets the last thing you expect to see around the corner is a 16th century playhouse with a thatched roof and yet that's exactly what you get with the Globe. Although it is not the original Globe Theatre, the feeling and anticipation that is felt once you enter the theatre is the same as it was centuries ago. I felt that by going through the museum prior to sitting it really helped to set the general mood for the evening. I better understood the era during which the play originally showed and therefore could connect more to the original audience members.
Going to the Globe theatre helped me to better understand the time period in which Shakespeare wrote. I have a greater sense of appreciation for the groundlings (and Bryant, haha) who would stand the entire show. These people at the time of the original showings would most likely be illiterate. The show was difficult enough to follow at times even though I had read the play previously so I cannot imagine being an illiterate member of the lower class trying to watch the play. I think that although Shakespeare's themes are universal and many can still apply to today's world, many of the jokes and original language would have been easier to understand at the time that the play was written and originally performed. These things would be more commonplace and would help the audience to connect with the performance in a way that is lost on audiences today. I wish I could go back to see a performance in the original time period and watch how the audience reacted to the show, but seeing as how that is not possible, attending a performance at the Globe theatre today is the next best thing.
-Tish

Day 9: Visitation to Hardy's home.

We visited, briefly, the home of Thomas Hardy. It was located in a remote and rural area, far from the lifestyles and mentality of metropolitan peoples. Mrs. Barrington suggested I read Jude the Obscure due to it's rivaling pessimism and dauntless proposition about the inevitability of irrationality in the world. It is this ethos in him that causes his most beautiful works, I am sure; it is through his struggles, conflicts, and contempt, that he brilliantly composes his overcoming. In other words, he is victorious over his struggles by employing them creatively, in poetry and fictional works, through which he cognizes and thereupon subordinates his issues into an intelligible theme. For example, one variable I found operating within the location of Hardy's home and his novel Jude the Obscure was isolation. More precisely, within these two subjects one percieves the resentful isolating of oneself from society as a means of affirming ones existence. I am, of course, referring to how Jude, an active mind, is cruelly nurtured by the monotonous, uneventful, and decadent countenance of his home village. These entities, which are themselves continuous throughout various landscapes Jude explores, help explain Jude's idealistic reactions to the few comforting thoughts in his life; he is neurotically-ecstatic when small, hopeful ideas such as Christminster come to mind because they allow him a personal foreground upon which he can finally build and evolve his person. Thus, from a lack of individual feedback from the world, Jude isolated his mentality from reality in order to feel comfortable.
It would have been different, I think, if Jude was set in a city. Dostoevsky's Raskalnikov was set in a city, yet, he isolated himself not from lack of experience, but his surfeit with experiences. Jude's disposition, which was obscure to his home society and even wife, was so far removed from reality because it had little to offer him. Therefore, his idealistic and lofty mood towards life, which sets the foundation of his character in the book, was his shelter from the outside world. How coincidental that the location of Hardy's home should leave the same impression; that Hardy should retreat far from his enemies, and build his walls high, so as not to endure their clamor. Even so, I sense a recognition, both in Jude and the isolation of Hardy's home, of the outside world challenging the individual; just outside the walls of his ideals the screaming and pounding of reality is heard. As the walls crumble, so they must be laboriously rebuilt from the clay and rocks deep within. This, I feel, is the basis for the deconstruction of Jude inner sense of idealism.
Moreover, I do not think such perspicacious literature could be written without that deep sense of struggle endured by Hardy. I see it in his home, set far and in resentment of his enemies (i.e. industrialism, utilitarianism, expansionism, and other demiurges that had been revealed by Mrs. Barrington that day), and in Jude the Obscure. In short, a discrepancy between individual and reality is unanimous among Hardy and Jude.

Day 13~ The National Portrait Galley

Today, 6/04/08 we went to the National Portrait Gallery, and with the restoration topic on my mind from seeing in Westminster Abbey, I wondered why the restoration artists here did some of the things they did. For example, when I came to the Bronte sisters I was surprised to see the alteration that was made to the painting. There information on the side of the painting said that there was once a pillar in the middle but it was discovered that underneath it was a self portrait of Patrick Bronte. It seemed to me the restoration artists in this case did the opposite of their jobs and reversed the painting to reveal the missing self portrait of the Bronte sisters’ brother, who painted this particular painting. As my walk through the gallery continued I soon found that Virgina Woolf’s sister painted the portrait that was on display and so did Jane Austen sister Cassandra.
I was surprised that each of these female authors had a sibling that drew or painted their picture during their life period. I do have to say the sketch I was interested with the most was Jane Austen’s sketch. I was surprised to see it not finished and in a very tiny frame a special box to keep it safe. I was curious why it was not displayed as the other paintings were on the wall in the romantic era room. I was wondering if it was because it was so small or if it was because of the water color? Also I was able to use the IT catalogue while I was there and found out that there was three other portraits the gallery had and wanted to know why those were not out as well. What made the gallery put out the have finished sketch instead of the others? What was the criteria that determined the rotation for the portraits?
The sketch of Austen did make me think of Persuasion and with Austen in the same room as Wordsworth I thought about what each of them might say. It seemed Austen was very "camera" shy because there were not many pictures done of her where as Wordsworth there was quite a few. It seems that Austen might be horrified that her portrait was on display, because it seemed she was a private person. It is funny to think of Jane Austen as a shy person when reading some of her novels because they contain some very out going characters. It almost seems she was only outgoing in her novels and that was her outlet.
In the National Portrait Gallery I did not feel it was marketed as much of a tourist attraction as the National Gallery was and I wondered why that was the case. Was it because it just held portraits and not much else or was it because not everyone knows who the portraits are of so they are not as interested? I am not saying that I knew who everyone was but it was exciting to see the portraits on the wall of the authors we have spent our college careers learning about. So it leads back to the question should people be educated to go to the museums, and in this case I believe the answer is yes because, it would create more of an interest for people to go an see the museum.

Day 13 National Portrait Gallery

I really enjoyed our visit to the National Portrait Gallery today. You can tell a lot about a person from looking at their pictures. Of course it also helps if you have a brief synopsis accompanying it. I feel that this was a great assignment for us to complete as a class. Not only was it free of charge and therefore we had no excuse not to visit the gallery, but also because it had something for everyone. There were portraits of noteworthy poets, authors, historians, political figures, and royalty, among others. The parts of the museum I found to be most enjoyable were the displays they had on certain people, such as John Hanning Speke, Richard Burton, and David Livingston. I found it most interesting how these three people’s stories intertwined. While the first two explorers were trying to discover the source of the Nile River the final explorer attempted to disprove one’s theory. This topic was the greatest geographical mystery of the time. Speke felt he discovered the Nile’s source as Lake Victoria, yet on that same exploration, Burton was convinced that the source was another lake by the name of Tahganyika. These two men published competing accounts of their journey including how each came across their discovery. After this kafuffle, the two were scheduled to debate their findings publicly. However, Speke accidentally shot himself with his shotgun. Burton did not think this was an accident. What happened to Burton afterwards? David Livingston attempted to prove Speke’s theory to be correct, and Burton’s to be incorrect. He traveled with Henry Morton Stanley who was the one to complete the journey itself. Livingston died in the swamps of Africa, trying to settle the matter. I found it helpful that the National Portrait Gallery decided to put these three important men together in a display in order to tie their significance together. The first short write-up of the whole situation, or kafuffle, touched on all three, but it wasn’t until you read each individual piece that you were able to read their back-stories and understand how they all fit together. My only question is one that I do not think can be answered in this blog, but I will ask it anyway: What happened to Richard Burton after Speke died and the debate ended? Did he go on to do anything else noteworthy? I was unable to find any other information about him on the small cards next to the portraits. It would have been interesting to see what had happened to him in the end.

Day 4 - London - The Cheshire Cheese

When trying to figure out what point of interest inspired or intruiged me the most, one of the places that stood out in my mind was the Cheshire Cheese pub. From the moment we stepped into the pub, it felt like the pub itself was almost suspended in time. It was dark, with creeking and crooked floor, and crooked beams, and twisted hallways and rooms that make you wonder where it all ends. The atmosphere seems so genuine that I could actually imagine writers, poets, politicians, etc... walking through the alleyway that leads there and stepping into the Cheshire Cheese for a pint with the other locals. With many of the places we've been, I'll know that there is such a rich history in where I am, but it doesn't seem real. On this trip, I have walked in the footsteps of Kings and Queens, but this pub seems so much more sincere. It blew my mind that I could casually step into a pub hidden away in an alley and have a drink in an establishment that has been serving beer for longer than our entire country has existed. The setting is ageless. When I was there, I felt as if I had stepped into the Prancing Pony Inn from Lord of the Rings, or I felt like I would bump into a character from a Charles Dickens novel. This is such an inspiring place to me because though it has such a rich history, it has not been tainted by tourism and commercialism, it is a small, classic, and genuine pub.

Day 5 - The Lake District (Tish)

The North of England is the most beautiful place I have seen in England thus far. The rolling hills, the sheep and the lake all served as a perfect background for any piece of literature. It was a very serene setting and just the drive through seemed to calm my body and mind and bring me to a new place both spiritually and physically.
Although today included a large amount of sitting on a bus, I think that today was the day thus far that has effected me most profoundly. By visiting the home of the great poet, Wordsworth, I felt that I was better able to understand the Romantic Period in general. The Romantic Period is my favorite period of British Literature because of the connection to nature that is so present in many of the poems and novels of the time. I have always found that nature inspires me to write or even just to think more clearly. After looking at the view outside the window above Wordsworth's writing desk I thought about how inspirational that view was. I then decided to go out into the garden and look at a similar view to do some writing of my own. The beauty of the surroundings was so pure that I felt like an intruder. I felt as if no one else had quite had the same moment I was having and that I was sharing something very special with the poet who had once lived there. His poems as well as his home served as a great inspiration to me.
The driving, too, helped serve as a reminder of the period the works were written in. The location was very remote even by today's standards and that helped to keep the location less "tourist-y" than some of the other locations we have visited so far. This added to the purity of the setting and the bus ride home also allowed me time to reflect upon the experience.